In the traditional sense, tennis is played between two players in a singles game, or two teams in a doubles game. Tennis can be played on various courts, which include clay courts, grass courts and hard courts as well as artificial turf courts.

Matches that are standard types

Singles is a game played by two players against each other, generally two females or two males but games played between a man and woman can be played on a casual basis or in the form of exhibitions.

Doubles is played by two teams consisting of the same number of players. which is typically all female or male. It is played on a larger court than singles matches; it covers the space in the alley (tramlines in British terms) and singles matches do not. Two players on the receiving side switch their positions after each point played (one on the net, and the other at the baseline, getting ready to serve again).

mixed Doubles is played in the same way as doubles, however there is only one man and one woman on each team. This kind of tennis is not common in professional tennis due to the fact that the women’s and the men’s tours are run independently (by both the ATP and WTA respectively). However there are 4 Grand Slam tournaments hold a mixed doubles event, along with the doubles for women and men with numerous of the exact players. Also, there is an annual mixed national team tournament, called the Hopman Cup, which includes mixed doubles matches. In addition, there were mixed doubles competitions during the Summer Olympics at various times (In 1900, 1920 until 1912, and then in 2012).

Although players gradually become becoming less competitive in singles in their 20s and 30s, they are able to remain competitive in doubles and mixed doubles (as shown by Martina Navratilova and John McEnroe who were doubles champions during their late 40s).

Other kinds of matches

Canadian doubles

If three players are on hand and there are three players available, the rules can be adjusted to allow for a mismatch to ensure it is possible that single players doesn’t necessarily have to be significantly more skilled than those in the double group. A single player is able to enter an open court for doubles while the two-player team plays into the singles court.

Also read: Curling and its rules!

Australian doubles / American doubles

A non-sanctioned and informal form of tennis. It is played in the same way as Canadian doubles, however in this form players are able to change their court position at the end of each match. This means that each player plays both singles and doubles throughout an entire match while the singles player is always serving. The scoring styles differ, however one of the most common methods is to give a value of two points per game which means that the server gets all points when he or holds serve as well as the doubles team taking one point in the event of breaking. All over in the United Kingdom (particularly England) and Australia the format is generally called “American doubles”, whereas in South Africa you would call it “American singles”, or cut-throat tennis. It’s also played in the Caribbean

Wheelchair tennis

It is played in singles and doubles formats by players who are wheelchair bound. The primary distinction lies in that the ball could bounce twice before it gets hit. The third bounce could be off the court. The of the Grand Slam tournaments include wheelchair tennis.

Tennis with visual impairment

The sport of tennis for the visually impaired (also called “blind tennis” in Japan and its home country and it is also known as “sound tennis” is some areas around the globe) is played in 4 categories of classification. The B1 (blind) class demands that players wear blindfolds and plays with special balls that make sounds upon collision with the court. It typically has a smaller court and lower net than normal tennis. Up three bounces can be permitted before return of the ball. While sound tennis isn’t included in ITF, ATP, and WTA tournaments An international event is held every year and world rankings are announced for female and male players with various levels of impairment.

Mini-tennis

There has been an improvement in tennis training that utilizes the use of ball with low compression and in some cases , modified court dimensions. Organisations across the globe have started using ball sizes with lower compression and smaller court sizes as a means to connect with young tennis players who are interested in the sport of tennis. The use of ball with low compression and court sizes that have been modified are designed to make it easier for players to transition towards becoming an experienced or competitive tennis player. Low compression balls are colored differently to show the degree of compression. Beginners and young players will likely enjoy the game more easily to master because the balls don’t bounce as high, or travel at the same speed like “normal” balls. The smaller courts are modified to allow for covering the court or getting the shot of the opponent easy.

Tennis court

An tennis court is in which tennis can be played. It’s a solid rectangular surface that has a low net that runs across the center. The similar surface can be used to play doubles or singles matches. There are a variety of surfaces that are available to make tennis courts each one with distinct specific characteristics that influence the playing manner that the sport.

Dimensions

The dimensions of the tennis court are specified and controlled through the International Tennis Federation (ITF) its governing body. The rules are laid on the “Rules of Tennis” document. The court measures approximately 78 feet (23.77 metres) long. Its length of 27 feet (8.23 meters) to play singles, and 36 feet (10.97 metres) for doubles matches. The line for service measures 21 feet (6.40 meters) away from the net. A larger area in the court to allow players to get overrun balls, which is the total that is 60 inches (18 metres) in width in width and 120 feet (37 metres) long. A net runs across the entire length of the court in line with the baselines, splitting the court into equal parts. The net measures 3 feet six inches (1.07 metres) tall at the posts in addition, it is three inches (0.91 metres) taller in the middle. These nets are three inches (0.91 metres) beyond in the courts for the doubles players on either side or, in the case of the singles net three inches (0.91 meters) outside the court for singles on each side.

Courts with smaller courts

Its Play and Stay campaign promotes playing on smaller courts, with slow red, orange green, and red balls for children younger than. This allows children to have more time and control , so they can rally, serve and score in the initial lesson. They can also play on courts designed to accommodate their body. The ITF has ordered that all official competitions for children 10 years old and younger should take place with “Orange” courts 18 m (59 feet) long and 6.4 meters (21 feet) wide. Children under 8 years old is held in “Red” courts that are 11 meters (36 feet) in length and 5.5 metres (18 feet) wide. The net is 0.8 meters high at the center.

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